A recent Gordon graduate stated “The current policy creates a sense of fear for LGBTQ students and is psychologically harmful to those in the community” and added “Campus should be a safe place for all students.” Of course, all students should be physically safe on all campuses but the question that demands an answer is, “Why are practicing homosexuals permitted to be students in a Christian college?” Moreover, even if homosexuals are permitted, is it prima facie evidence that a prohibition against immorality (fornication or perversion) results in an unsafe atmosphere?

Gordon officials want to quell any rumors and concern about the school’s status since that would have devastating effects on enrollment and fundraising. If Gordon College is now under the regulators’ gun it could lose its organizational stamp of approval. Gordon must fix whatever needs fixing before September. It is a fact that the accrediting agency does not like Gordon (or any college) prohibiting “homosexual practice” and the banning of “sexual relations outside of marriage.” A committee, during an 18-month “period of discernment” has been looking for a way to fix the problem. A working group includes students (one is homosexual), faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees who will read books and meet with experts to fix the problem.

Just a minute. It won’t take 18 months since the “period of discernment” can be accomplished in 18 seconds. I’m a very simple person so I’m simplistic at times. A question must be asked: Are homosexuality and fornication forbidden by the Bible? Any third-rate Bible scholar would admit that fact, although maybe without enthusiasm. So, another question: Is it permissible for a Christian institution to make flagrant decisions in disobedience to His Word? Another question: Why does it take 18 months or 18 minutes? Gordon’s answer to the accrediting agency must be “Go pound sand.” Now, that is not an academic reply but it is an audacious, admirable, and accurate reply.

Can any Christian college president and Board of Trustees permit an accrediting agency or the Federal Government to interfere, supervise, and mandate rules for them? Of course, the answer should be “no,” however, that is a lost cause. The fact is, those very school officials capitulated many years ago when they decided they needed the secular stamp of approval upon their schools. It is called accreditation. Almost all Christian colleges have sought and received government approval through regional accreditation.

Christian educators know that parents are uninformed and have been brainwashed into believing that accreditation and qualification are synonymous. So Christian educators drank the grape Kool-Aid many years ago and some of them said to me as they wiped their quivering lips, “We will go along with accreditation as long as they don’t tell us how to run our school, what to teach, and what textbooks to use.” Of course, that is exactly what happened. Those same people did respond to the iron fist by wringing their hands, whining, and whimpering but they adjusted to the surrender of their basic educational and scriptural principles. They sold out to get handouts from government such as grants, loans, and other benefits, enabling students to receive government funds.

Today, Christian college registrars cannot even inform the tuition-paying parents the status of their children‘s education unless the student signs a consent form! Parents are fools to pay tuition without that signed consent form. Required chapel attendance has been forsaken and, generally, school officials are walking through a minefield of government and accrediting association regulations.

Some of us in Christian education said many years ago that what government (at any level) funds, it runs; and if you take the government’s nickel, you will get their noose. Christian educators took the chance and now operate with a noose, loose in some cases, but a noose around their necks while standing on a weak, wobbly, wormy, and worthless scaffold called accreditation.

Now comes the next step when the Federal bureaucracy, not just the state or an accreditation agency, can set the guidelines for any school that awards a degree, diploma or certificate. Federal educational thugs can determine what courses must be taught for each degree, what constitutes a credit hour, how many hours a professor may teach, and what books will be used. And on and on and on.

Can any Christian college president justify permitting any agency to interfere in the discipline of students (sounds quaint, doesn’t it) and to set standards for those students? How about a college’s stand on abortion, homosexuality, fornication (very quaint), and other “sins”? Therefore, those colleges that decide not to abide by new regulations (that may not be too intrusive at the beginning) can expect to lose tax exemption, all student loans, grants, and any benefit from state and Federal Government.

School officials will have to jump through government hoops in order to satisfy the federal bureaucrats and even fools know that federal bureaucrats are never satisfied.

All presidents of Christian colleges had better practice jumping because there are numerous hoops they must jump through to satisfy state, federal, and regional accrediting dictates. And note that dictates is not far from dictators.

http://bit.ly/1iMLVfY Watch these 8 minute videos of my lecture at the University of North Dakota: “A Christian Challenges New Atheists to Put Up or Shut Up!”

However, we don’t have to look in the past or to secular universities to prove the deleterious effects of school accreditation. Simply look at the present. Look what accreditation has done and is doing to Wheaton College, Moody, Cedarville University, Grace Seminary, Tennessee Temple University, and to a lesser extent Bryan College, Dallas Seminary, and others.

Gordon College, near Boston, is now on the defense being attacked by their regional accreditation association. Of course, accreditation alone is not the culprit; however, it is the accreditation mentality of being approved that is driving change–for the worse– in all schools.

America’s early Christian schools boasted scholarly, saintly, sober professors who pumped knowledge and tried to impart character into very young students. A young teen seeking enrollment at Columbia (then King’s) as a freshman had to translate the first three of Tully’s Select Orations from Latin to Greek and translate the first ten chapters of John’s Gospel from Greek to English! Note that was to enroll!

The only accreditation the early schools had was the quality of students they thrust out after a rigorous exposure to some of the greatest minds in America. Then came the do-gooders who thought they had a divine mandate to control everything to “guarantee” quality education. So the restrictions came and the quality plummeted.

Today’s Christian universities think they will be an exception but the historical scenario is playing out in front of our eyes. With regional accreditation has come the demand that professors hold a Ph.D. from various schools, not schools in agreement with the hiring institution. Note that Baptist schools have professors trained at outrageously liberal universities and seminaries. Of course, schools are not permitted to teach the truth about creation/evolution in their science classes.

Student personal requirements were deep-sixed so tobacco, booze, gambling, dancing, piercings, etc., are permitted while required chapel, godly living, church attendance, and weekly Christian service are proscribed. In fact, such things are considered antiquated, even appalling.

Charges have circulated for months that Gordon College was under the gun of regulators from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC); nevertheless, Gordon’s spokesman says that accreditation is not in question: “Contrary to recent media reports, Gordon’s accreditation is not in jeopardy, as its admission and employment policies have always been in full compliance with the NEASC Standards for Accreditation….”

However, Barbara Brittingham, president of the NEASC’s higher education commission told the Boston Business Journal, that the school’s current “Life and Conduct Statement” which bans Gordon community members from “sexual relations outside marriage” and “homosexual practice,” may be “inconsistent with the commission’s standards.”

Brittingham told me that she knows of no college that has refused to capitulate to an accreditation association’s demand for an atmosphere that is friendly to fornicators and homosexuals, and using the First Amendment as their reason. Does that mean all other Christian colleges have eliminated their “no fornication, no homosexuality” rule? Or does it mean they are still under the radar?

Opposition to Gordon’s policy on sex also comes from students, faculty, alumni and local residents who have signed an online petition to remove the words “homosexual practice” from the school’s list of forbidden activities. About half of the 1100 signatures are alumni and 200 are faculty and staff! One does not need a doctorate in education to know that Gordon is in deep doo doo when such a high percent of workers support the LGBTQ position!

I’m afraid the young president, Michael Lindsay, is on his way out if he does not capitulate to the perversion-is-okay crowd. He should keep his eyes open for specials from U-Haul.

Furthermore, it is folly to permit students, faculty, alumni, and local residents to set standards for a Christian school! Local residents! Yeah, hey everyone, let’s vote on what is right and wrong!

However, Bible truth is not decided by a majority vote. God is a benevolent dictator and He does not allow a deciding vote–only a choice between obedience and disobedience.

http://bit.ly/1iMLVfY Watch these 8 minute videos of my lecture at the University of North Dakota: “A Christian Challenges New Atheists to Put Up or Shut Up!”